Food Processing - February 2008 - (Page 50)

TOOPS SCOOPS Helping consumers find enjoyment in fruits, vegetables and grains is a huge opportunity for processors and retailers. Healthy eating a struggle By Diane Toops, News & Trends Editor H ealthy living is a growing trend, but for many Americans it is a slow process. In fact, nearly two-thirds OPPORtUNItIES FOR MANUFACtURERS AND REtAIlERS • Offer a wide variety of nutritious products containing servings of fruit, vegetables and whole grains, including fresh, frozen and shelf-stable that can be consumed both at home and on the go. • Deliver multiple benefits in products aiding in weight management – perhaps cut sodium or add whole grains. Products with weight management benefits (portion control, low-fat, reduced calories) are outpacing total CPG sales by a significant margin. • Provide an attractive assortment of products with disease management benefits for high-incidence conditions, including high cholesterol, high blood pressure and diabetes in markets with a significant portion of consumers aged 55 and over. • Offer nutritious products and convenient portion control products that appeal to kids. • Natural/organic products are getting a boost from a growing environmental consciousness. of U.S. consumers are still overweight or obese, and most are not eating the daily recommended servings of fruits, vegetables and whole grains. That’s according to “The Healthy Eating Evolution,” an IRI Times and Trends Report from Chicago-based Information Resources Inc. This is an enormous growth opportunity but it will require more great-tasting fruit, vegetable and whole-grain products throughout the store, education regarding specific health benefits and clear identification of these products in the store. For Maine grocer Hannaford Brothers, a bold experiment in providing shelf tags with nutritional ratings for products paid off with significantly higher sales among select healthier items. The good news is 75 percent of U.S. consumers report they are making changes in their diets in an effort to eat healthier. They increasingly recognize wellness benefits beyond basic nutrition, including heart health, digestive health and cancer protection, and are spending more on fresh fruits and vegetables and frozen vegetables, such as one of the Top 10 new products last year: Birds Eye Steamfresh, which enable consumers to steam-cook veggies right in the package. Several Lean Cuisine Spa Classics varieties offer twice the vegetables of an average frozen meal. Some 10,000 food and beverage products containing superfruits were introduced worldwide last year. Even within snacks, healthier was the mantra last year. Frito-Lay’s new Flat Earth baked fruit and veggie crisps were a hit. Sales of fruit chips soared 98 percent in 2007, and vegetable chips grew 32 percent. Manufacturers and retailers have addressed growing demand for healthier products through heavy investment in new product development, health and wellness marketing and consumer education on websites and in-store. Many of those “ahead of their time” companies are reaping big rewards. Dannon Activia yogurt, which aids digestion, was one of the most successful new products in recent history, earning $128 million in year-one sales. While the market for healthier products is broad, there are several segments with unique needs that warrant targeted product development and marketing, such as baby boomers, chronic disease sufferers, lower-income consumers and kids. Both boomers and lower-income families have a higher tendency to face obesity than the general population. Boomers are also more likely to face chronic diseases requiring special diets, fighting such things as high cholesterol and high blood pressure. Meanwhile, parents are trying to instill healthy eating habits among children, including increased consumption of nutritious products and portion control. E-mail: dtoops@putman.net blOG WItH DIANE Diane shares her opinion on food industry matters with anyone who will listen or read. Every Monday, Wednesday and Friday, she dishes up commentary, news and other scoops. First give her a read, then give her a piece of your mind: at www.foodprocessing.com/toopsblog. 50 • FOOD PROCESSING FEbRUARy 2008 WWW.FOODPROCESSING.COM http://www.foodprocessing.com/toopsblog http://www.foodprocessing.com

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of Food Processing - February 2008

Food Processing - February 2008 Contents Editor’s Plate NewsBites Regulatory Issues The Trends Rollout Food Biz Kids Product Spotlight Ingredients From Where? Product Development RCA Show Review Plant Operations Packaging New Supplier Products Toops Scoops

Food Processing - February 2008

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